Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of Potential Victim of Trafficking applications being handled by her Department that are yet to be resolved and were made over (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five years ago.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include how many Potential Victim of Trafficking cases have been received each year. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.
Statistics prior to Q2 2019 were produced by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and can be found here: Publications - National Crime Agency
There is no target timeframe in which to make conclusive grounds decisions in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). A decision can only be made fairly and reasonably once sufficient information has been made available to the competent authority for it to complete the decision. When the competent authority has received sufficient information for it to complete a decision it should seek to do so.
This is done as soon as possible once a potential victim has been provided with a minimum of 45 calendar days of the recovery period they are eligible for, during which they may access the support and protections of the NRM. Timescales on individual decisions can vary according to the relative complexity of each case and on sufficient information being made available to the competent authority by the parties involved.
In the course of the last year the Single Competent Authority has been recruiting a significant number of new decision makers across the UK to increase capacity for NRM decision-making and bring down decision making timescales.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to introduce a target timeframe for the determination of Potential Victim of Trafficking cases.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include how many Potential Victim of Trafficking cases have been received each year. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.
Statistics prior to Q2 2019 were produced by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and can be found here: Publications - National Crime Agency
There is no target timeframe in which to make conclusive grounds decisions in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). A decision can only be made fairly and reasonably once sufficient information has been made available to the competent authority for it to complete the decision. When the competent authority has received sufficient information for it to complete a decision it should seek to do so.
This is done as soon as possible once a potential victim has been provided with a minimum of 45 calendar days of the recovery period they are eligible for, during which they may access the support and protections of the NRM. Timescales on individual decisions can vary according to the relative complexity of each case and on sufficient information being made available to the competent authority by the parties involved.
In the course of the last year the Single Competent Authority has been recruiting a significant number of new decision makers across the UK to increase capacity for NRM decision-making and bring down decision making timescales.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to introduce target timeframes for the determination of all applications to her Department.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include how many Potential Victim of Trafficking cases have been received each year. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.
Statistics prior to Q2 2019 were produced by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and can be found here: Publications - National Crime Agency
There is no target timeframe in which to make conclusive grounds decisions in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). A decision can only be made fairly and reasonably once sufficient information has been made available to the competent authority for it to complete the decision. When the competent authority has received sufficient information for it to complete a decision it should seek to do so.
This is done as soon as possible once a potential victim has been provided with a minimum of 45 calendar days of the recovery period they are eligible for, during which they may access the support and protections of the NRM. Timescales on individual decisions can vary according to the relative complexity of each case and on sufficient information being made available to the competent authority by the parties involved.
In the course of the last year the Single Competent Authority has been recruiting a significant number of new decision makers across the UK to increase capacity for NRM decision-making and bring down decision making timescales.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to enable people in Afghanistan to be reunited with family members in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Family members of British citizens and settled persons, including those with humanitarian protection in the UK, who were not called forward for evacuation as part of Op PITTING, will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration and reunion rules. They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which may include paying relevant fees and charges, and providing their biometrics.
The British Embassy in Kabul has currently suspended in country operations and all UK diplomatic and consular staff have been temporarily withdrawn.
The UK is working with international partners to secure safe routes out of Afghanistan as soon as they become available, but while the security situation remains extremely volatile, we recommend people in Afghanistan do not make applications and pay application fees at this time as they will not be considered until biometrics are provided. Those Afghans who are outside of Afghanistan and able to get to a Visa Application Centre to provide their biometrics can make an application in the usual way.
A full policy statement on this matter published on 13 September 2021 can be found here:
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that asylum cases are determined on the basis of need rather than the route by which people arrive to the UK.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it, in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
However, we have been clear that people should claim asylum in the first safe country that they reach and should not seek to enter the UK illegally. They should not put their lives at risk by leaving those safe countries and making unnecessary and dangerous onward journeys to the UK.
Inadmissibility is a longstanding process designed to prevent secondary movements across Europe. If an individual has a connection to or has passed through a safe country before arriving in the UK, we can declare their claim as inadmissible to our asylum process, and we will seek to return them to a safe country. If we cannot return an inadmissible claimant to a safe county within a reasonable period of time, we will consider their claim in the UK.
For claims admitted for consideration under the UK asylum process, decision makers carefully consider the claimant’s protection needs by assessing all the evidence provided by them in light of published country information guidance. Decision makers receive extensive training on considering asylum claims and must follow published Home Office policy guidance.
Each case that is admitted to our asylum process, irrespective of how the individual arrived in the UK, is carefully considered on its own merits. Protection is normally granted where a claimant has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention or their circumstances engage our obligations under Article 3 (ECHR). Those who qualify are granted five years’ limited leave and have access to the labour market and welfare support.
Those found not to need protection are refused, and the decision can be subject to legal challenge where appropriate either via appeal to the independent court or through a judicial review, depending on the decision in question. Once their appeals rights are exhausted, they are required to leave the UK.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the amount of suitable asylum seeker accommodation.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The current global pandemic along with high intake presented us with significant challenges when it comes to the provision of asylum accommodation, including sourcing sufficient suitable accommodation to meet demand. The use of hotels and wider government facilities is a short-term measure and we are working with our accommodation providers to move people to longer-term dispersal accommodation as soon as it becomes available.
The Home Office is working closely with asylum accommodation providers, Local Authorities and Strategic Migration Partnerships to increase the amount of accommodation available for asylum seekers so we can eliminate the need for the use of contingency accommodation.
We are grateful to those local authorities who participate in the dispersal scheme and will continue to work in partnership with them to procure suitable accommodation. Sadly, many local authorities do not currently participate in the dispersal scheme, making it harder to procure sufficient dispersal accommodation. I would encourage them to step up and play their part in the UK-wide effort to provide accommodation to those seeking asylum who would otherwise be destitute.
We have established the Local Government Chief Executive Group (HOLGCEX) group to bring together senior representatives from Home Office, Local Government Association and local authorities with the aim of working in partnership to improve the asylum dispersal process for the people who use this service and the communities in which they reside.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to monitor the performance of private contractors providing accommodation and support to asylum seekers.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We expect the highest standards from our providers, who are expected to conduct regular checks across the accommodation estate. The Home Office has access to providers’ systems to monitor compliance.
The Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts (AASC) have a robust performance management system, against which providers are expected to deliver. Where performance falls short of the required standard, failures are recorded and can result in the award of points and, ultimately, service credits being applied. Providers’ performance is monitored closely by dedicated staff in each contract area, who are in daily contact with them.
This is supplemented by a formal governance process which includes quarterly Strategic Review Management Boards and monthly Contract Management Groups. Service credits and subsequent improvement plans are discussed and monitored as part of this process.
Contract management is operated in line with Covid-19 guidance. Service Delivery Managers speak daily with providers about service delivery and performance. In response to the global pandemic, officials also have formal meetings on a weekly basis to ensure individuals are housed safely, services are delivered in line with their contractual obligations and adherence to guidance from Public Health England (PHE) is followed.
Asylum seekers can also raise specific issues or concerns about their accommodation through the 24/7 Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) service operated by Migrant Help. The Home Office and our providers receive feedback on complaints raised through our regular dialogue with Migrant Help, which enables attention to be focussed on particular areas of concern.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department’s review of the rules regulating asylum seekers’ permission to work, commenced in December 2018, will conclude and report.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Asylum seeker right to work is a complex issue. A review of the policy is ongoing, and we are considering the evidence put forward on the issue. The findings of the review will be announced once the work has been completed.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timescale is for the commencement of her Department’s future UK refugee resettlement scheme.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) launched following the completion of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. Through UKRS we are committed to welcoming refugees through resettlement in the months and years to come. This commitment, alongside a fair and firm asylum system, will see us continue to offer safe and legal routes to the UK for vulnerable refugees in need of protection.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has for the continuation of refugee resettlement after the conclusion of the Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK will continue to welcome refugees through resettlement following the completion of the VPRS. This commitment, alongside a future firm and fair asylum system, will ensure we continue to offer safe and legal routes to the UK for vulnerable refugees in need of protection. Our focus will remain on helping people directly from regions of conflict and instability.